When and how to plant lilies

When to plant lilies

You can plant these flowers on the site in the spring, when the soil has thawed and the threat of serious night frosts has passed. In the southern regions, heat comes faster, which allows the procedure to be carried out throughout April. In the middle lane and in the north, bulbs are planted from late April to mid-May.

The second suitable period comes towards the end of the summer season. In colder climates, lilies are planted from late August to late September, in the regions of the middle lane and in the south - from mid-September to late October.

How to choose lilies

When buying planting material, pay attention to the packaging. Usually a flower is depicted on it, the type of lily and the height of the plant are indicated, and information about the aroma is given. Then carefully inspect the bulbs to choose not only beautiful, but also healthy specimens.

Decide on the view

Lilies can have flowers of different sizes and colors. They are monophonic, two-color, variegated - the whole gamut cannot be listed. These plants are divided into many groups of hybrids, each of which differs mainly in terms of flowering, frost resistance and aroma intensity. Most often you can find Martagon lilies, Asian hybrids, LA hybrids and OT hybrids.

Martagon lilies bloom first of all - already in the first half of June. They endure harsh winters and are considered disease and pest resistant. Plants can reach a height of up to 2 m and are able to grow in one place without a transplant for up to 20 years. They are easily recognizable by the flowers that tend downward and resemble bells. Most often, Martagons have a light and unobtrusive aroma.

Asian hybrids begin to bloom as early as mid-June. Unpretentious and frost-resistant lilies of this species grow from 20 to 150 cm in height. The flowers are simple and double and have no smell at all.

LA hybrids bloom towards the end of June. Just like Asian species, they are unpretentious and resistant to cold, but at the same time their flowers exude a delicate sweetish aroma. As a rule, the buds do not fully open and are funnel-shaped. Plant height reaches 150 cm.

OT hybrids usually bloom later - around the end of July. The single or double flowers are intensely fragrant and can be up to 30 cm in diameter. Such lilies with powerful stems can grow up to 180 cm. True, not all representatives of this group are frost-resistant.

Pay attention to the quality of the bulb

Usually lilies are sold in transparent packaging, which makes it possible to examine the planting material before buying. If you are choosing flowers for spring planting, make sure the bulb has sprouted. For planting in the fall, on the contrary, give preference to sleeping specimens without a young stem.

A quality bulb should be dense and firm to the touch with live multiple roots. Make sure that it does not have damage, traces of rot and mold.

How to prepare a place for planting lilies

Lilies can be planted both in separate holes, and in common, several pieces at once. Tall species are placed at a distance of at least 25 cm from each other, short ones - at least 15 cm.

Decide on a site

Find a well-lit sunbed. It is acceptable that in the midday hours the lilies are in light shade. Do not plant these flowers in areas where strong winds walk, which can break the stems.

Also, consider the design of the flower bed in advance. If you are planting tall lilies, position them so that they do not create shade for other plants.

Prepare the ground

2-3 weeks before planting the bulbs, add 5 liters of compost, 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium sulfate to 1 m² of flower beds. Dig up the soil with all the ingredients onto a shovel bayonet and level the surface with a rake.

Make planting holes

The depth of the hole should be approximately equal to three times the diameter of the bulb. Dig a hole according to the size of the bulb.

At the bottom of the planting hole, pour about 5 cm of drainage layer. To do this, you can use a mixture of sand with fine gravel or expanded clay.

How to prepare lily bulbs for planting

Lilies must first be disinfected to reduce the risk of disease. To do this, use special preparations - fungicides (for example, "Maxim" and "Fitosporin"), which are diluted according to the instructions on the package, or a solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 1 g per 1 liter of water.

Immerse the onions in the prepared liquid and leave them to soak for 20-30 minutes. If your lilies have sprouts, try to keep them above the surface of the solution.

How to plant lilies

Spring and autumn planting will be the same.

Place the bulb in the bottom of the planting hole, roots down, pressing it lightly into the ground. If you are planting several lilies at once, place them at a distance of 15–25 cm.

Sprinkle the bulbs with sand so that it covers them about halfway.

Fill the planting hole to the top with soil. If there are sprouts on the lilies, they should also be covered with soil.

If the soil in the flower bed is dry, water the lilies with about 1-2 liters of water using a diffuser nozzle so as not to wash out the soil. If the ground is damp, this is not necessary.

How to care for lilies after planting

Give the plants a little attention so that the flowering is lush and plentiful.

water the lilies

These plants do not like an excess of moisture, so they are watered as the soil in the flower bed dries up. In hot weather, you will have to do this more often; in the rain, watering is not needed. Pour water under the root of the lilies, being careful not to get on the leaves.

feed the lilies

If you planted lilies at the end of the season, you do not need to fertilize. The flowers will have enough food laid in the pit. In the spring, when the sprouts hatch, feed the lilies with nitroammophos at the rate of 1 tablespoon of the product per 1 m² of the flower bed. Spread the granules on the ground around the plants and thoroughly loosen the soil, then moisten it with water.

After spring planting, top dressing of lilies is carried out at the end of flowering. To do this, dissolve 1 tablespoon of potassium monophosphate in 10 liters of water and water the plants under the root. One lily will need 0.5 liters of the mixture.

prune the lilies

In autumn, when the stems and leaves of plants turn yellow and begin to dry out, cut the lilies off, leaving a “stump” about 15 cm high. It is not necessary to cut the plants at the root, otherwise the bulb may not ripen well and not survive the winter.

Cover lilies for the winter

Before the onset of autumn frosts, cover a flower bed with lilies with peat or dry leaves with a layer of 10–15 cm to protect them from the cold. You can also put spruce branches - they will become a barrier for hungry rodents who love to feast on bulbs. In the spring, when the snow melts and a stable positive temperature is established, the shelter can be removed.